Chapter 317: Chapter 310 Young Master Xiao Chapter 317: Chapter 310 Young Master Xiao Toward the end of the year, Fang Shaokang would be especially busy. Although he was usually busy, he managed to take a day off each week to relax, but now he simply had no time at all—not even for a hurried phone call with Fang Mengmeng. Fang Shaokang had arranged for someone to send Zheng Tan back to Chuhua City. The specific date had been set, and due to some last-minute matters, it was postponed by two days from the original plan. However, it was just two days; Zheng Tan could wait.

Resting on the sofa, Zheng Tan yawned as he looked at the date on the calendar. Well, that’s good. He would be back the day after tomorrow.

In the last few days, Zheng Tan had been cooped up indoors, eating and sleeping without going out. One reason was that it was too cold outside; another was the issues Ermao had mentioned. So, Zheng Tan just stayed indoors and lazed about to avoid any trouble.

In the afternoon after school, Fang Mengmeng came home, and after dinner, she told her mom she was going out. Her school had a model competition, and she had been discussing methods lately with two classmates. The two classmates also lived in the same villa area and it was convenient to work together as a group because they lived close by.

Da Mi followed Fang Mengmeng out, and every day when he returned, Da Mi’s paws would have a few short dog hairs. The pug that Da Mi chased around that night was the object of his bullying.

“Heitan, let’s go out too. You need to get some exercise. Look, you’ve gained a bit these few days,” Fang Mengmeng said to Zheng Tan on the sofa before leaving the house.

Gained? Really? Maybe it’s muscle?

Zheng Tan looked down at himself and didn’t feel fatter, but compared to when he was filming the documentary, he had filled out a bit. Those days were tiring, and afterward, he followed the crew around and lost some weight. Once filming was over and he stayed at Fang Mengmeng’s house without having to do anything but eat and sleep, he quickly regained the lost weight.

However, it was true he hadn’t moved around much.

After a thought, Zheng Tan decided to go for a walk with Fang Mengmeng and Da Mi, just to digest his food. They would just stroll around the villa area; there shouldn’t be an issue, and he could also see how these kids were managing the model.

This time he didn’t wear the polar bear outfit Ermao and Qin Tao had made fun of. Since he wasn’t going far, just nearby, Zheng Tan didn’t want to wear it anymore, lest he be laughed at again by others.

After stepping outside, the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors made Zheng Tan shiver involuntarily. He looked at Da Mi, who seemed unaffected, and sighed internally, wishing he had such luxury. In winter, Da Mi’s fur was obviously much thicker than in summer. He had always been much sturdier than other cats, and now he looked even more robust and physically formidable. No wonder several cats in the residential area would turn tail at the sight of Da Mi—they must have been bullied before.

Fang Mengmeng wrapped her scarf and led Zheng Tan and Da Mi toward her classmate’s house. It took less than five minutes to arrive at the European-style villa. They didn’t ring the doorbell but stood below and called out.

“Chu Laiya!”

The first time Zheng Tan heard this name, he thought someone was yelling, “Come out!” He later realized it was the name of a mixed-race girl, one of Fang Mengmeng’s classmates and a member of the model team.

After Fang Mengmeng called out a couple of times, Chu Laiya came out carrying a small bag.

“Oh? Whose Black Cat is this?” Chu Laiya asked while looking at Zheng Tan, who stood next to Fang Mengmeng and Da Mi.

“It’s a cat from my dad’s friend’s house, and it’s Da Mi’s… um, elder,” Fang Mengmeng replied. She had picked up the term “elder” while speaking with Fang Shaokang on the phone, so she used it to introduce Zheng Tan thereafter.

“Elder?” Chu Laiya curiously glanced at Zheng Tan a few more times as they walked, “But it isn’t as tall as Da Mi.”

Zheng Tan: “…” He felt as if he had been stabbed in the chest.

“They don’t share blood relations and are different breeds, so you can’t really compare them,” Fang Mengmeng explained.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Chu Laiya nodded and didn’t deliver any more verbal blows to Zheng Tan.

The two walked for about ten minutes and arrived at another villa. This time, Fang Mengmeng and Chu Laiya did not shout from below but went to the door and rang the doorbell.

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

The sound of the doorbell set off the barking inside, and by its tone, Zheng Tan knew it was the pug that Da Mi always bullied.

The door soon opened, and a kid about the same age as Fang Mengmeng and Chu Laiya opened the door, a cookie in his mouth.

This must be another member of their group, a kid named Hou Junyi.

“You’re late!”

Hou Junyi said as he opened the door, and his pug, Mao Dou, had already moved to the door. When Da Mi entered, Mao Dou immediately ran away and then crouched next to Hou Junyi, barking at Da Mi.

The three were already used to this cat and dog’s way of interaction. To talk about it, these two were practically childhood companions, fighting from young to old, and Mao Dou always got bullied by Da Mi. While Da Mi always acted fierce around Mao Dou, if Mao Dou got into a fight with other dogs or cats, Da Mi would surely rush to help Mao Dou.

“Monkey, your Mao Dou is indeed frequently defeated yet fights again and again,” Fang Mengmeng laughed.

Hou Junyi’s nickname was “Monkey”, a surname that brought him quite a bit of trouble, with the nickname just being one of those minor issues. Hearing Fang Mengmeng’s comment, Hou Junyi just “hmm”ed, without giving much of a response.

“Wow, a Black Cat!” Hou Junyi exclaimed after spotting Zheng Tan. His impression of cats was only of two types: the ones that run at the sight of a dog, and those that fight on seeing one.

Zheng Tan was a rare exception Hou Junyi had encountered; indifferent to Mao Dou and not engaging in any disputes, acting utterly uninterested in Mao Dou.

Fang Mengmeng once again briefly explained Zheng Tan’s background.

Hou Junyi’s family had a specific room set up as a “workroom” for him, where Fang Mengmeng and two others designed their crafts.

Zheng Tan watched as the three kids worked on their crafts. Da Mi and Mao Dou were already scampering all around the house, but Hou Junyi’s parents didn’t say anything, as they were used to it.

After an hour of busy work, it was time for a break. Hou Junyi’s mother brought in a stack of desserts and some snacks.

The three kids, while chatting, eventually turned the discussion to TV dramas and talked about their favorite celebrities.

Hou Junyi wasn’t interested in the celebrities Fang Mengmeng and Chu Laiya mentioned at all. He wasn’t into celebrity-worship but admired some big shots in engineering instead. His grandfather was from the Academy of Engineering and his father was also talented in this area. The things he was exposed to from a young age made him more interested in this field. As for chasing celebrities, what’s so good about that?

Zheng Tan curled his lip; this kid didn’t even have a full beard yet, so naturally he didn’t understand why certain female celebrities and adult film stars were so popular among men. As for the male celebrities Fang Mengmeng and Chu Laiya mentioned, pshaw, Zheng Tan was only interested in things like “photo scandals.”

Because Hou Junyi’s facial expression was so obvious, Fang Mengmeng, after mentioning several idol stars, asked Hou Junyi, “What’s with that expression? Don’t you like them?”

“Don’t like them,” Hou Junyi affirmed.

“Men with strong jealousy are the ugliest!” Chu Laiya sneered.

Zheng Tan: “…” Hearing this from a girl even younger than Little Youzi somehow felt really awkward.

Hou Junyi’s face turned a deep red, “I’m not jealous. They are just not worthy of admiration, just like that Young Master Xiao next door. Can’t stand him!”

“Xiao?” Fang Mengmeng and Chu Laiya turned to Hou Junyi at the same time, “Isn’t your next-door neighbor someone who started a business?”

“Not anymore, that was long ago. The house was transferred to that Young Master Xiao three years ago,” said Hou Junyi.

“Exactly which Xiao?”

“…Young Master Xiao or something like that,” recalled Hou Junyi.

“Young Master Xiao?!!”

Zheng Tan felt the two girls’ eyes light up when they heard “Young Master Xiao,” making both Zheng Tan and Hou Junyi instinctively move back.

Knowing Young Master Xiao lived next door and might even be home today, the two girls couldn’t contain themselves. They immediately got up. The craft models could wait till tomorrow. Young Master Xiao wasn’t easy to run into; otherwise, they would have known he had been living next to Hou Junyi for three years.

The girls complained about Hou Junyi’s lack of loyalty for only now revealing that Young Master Xiao had been his neighbor for three years. Hou Junyi felt wronged—he didn’t like those celebrities, and besides, Young Master Xiao was often not at home; today, he just happened to see him while walking the dog.

The two girls were determined to visit Young Master Xiao, and a displeased Hou Junyi was dragged along by them. Zheng Tan also followed them.

Speaking of Young Master Xiao, Zheng Tan was quite familiar with him. The man had risen to fame in the last couple of years. “Young Master Xiao” was a character he had played, and since the character contained the word “Xiao” from his real name as well, he was later nicknamed “Young Master Xiao” by fans. He had starred in several good dramas, both historical and modern. While staying at the Jiao family’s house, Zheng Tan had watched TV dramas with Jiao Ma featuring this Young Master Xiao. Through the roles he had played in dramas and well-managed PR campaigns, many people found Young Master Xiao appealing—handsome, personable, considerate, humorous, and charming. There were fans ranging from little girls to eighty-year-old grandmothers. Jiao Ma would tidily sit on the couch after washing dishes and sweeping floors every night, eagerly awaiting the latest hit historical drama featuring him that aired earlier this year.

Since the kids wanted his autograph, Zheng Tan figured he might as well get one too to take back to Chuhua City for Jiao Ma. Although Jiao Ma was past the age of fervent celebrity worship, a favorite star’s autograph would definitely delight her for a long time. It wasn’t a wasted trip to Beijing at all.

Actually, Zheng Tan felt that for someone like Fang Mengmeng, getting an autographed photo was just a word away from her father. However, evidently, these kids hadn’t realized that yet.

As they were heading downstairs, Hou Junyi’s father saw the three going out and asked, “Going out?”

“Yeah, just for a bit, and I’ll take them home afterward,” Hou Junyi replied.

Hou Junyi’s dad nodded his head and didn’t say much else, only reminded them, “Don’t go too far, it’s late in the evening.”

“Got it!”

Asking celebrities for autographed photos was an embarrassing matter that Hou Junyi really didn’t want to discuss with his parents.

Mao Dou, seeing his little master heading out, squeezed through the door before it closed tight, and Da Mi, even quicker, was out first.

The three, along with two cats and a dog, stood at Young Master Xiao’s front door. Hou Junyi was pushed to ring the bell. There was a light on in a room upstairs, indicating someone was home.

After a minute with no response from inside, he rang again, still no answer. Hou Junyi turned to suggest the others give up, but seeing the disappointment in their eyes, he steeled himself and kept ringing the doorbell.

Just as Fang Mengmeng was about to give up, the door opened. A man in his twenties with good looks, dressed in a sportswear and slightly sweaty forehead as if he had just finished exercising, appeared.

Indeed, it was Young Master Xiao; Zheng Tan had seen this face on TV before. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it at “Qidian.com”. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep